EU professor publishes third article in international education journal

Linda Best, Ed.D., an assistant professor in the Early Childhood and Reading Department at Edinboro University, recently published her third article in the International Journal of Scientific Research in Education.

Best is the lead author of the article “Does Academic Level Affect Student Perceptions of Threaded Discussions in Online Learning,” which appeared in the journal’s September 2015 issue.

Her co-author and partner in continuing research in critical discussions related to online learning is Daniel Shelley, Ph.D., University Professor of Education at Robert Morris University. The recent publication is their third in a series related to student perceptions of threaded discussions, an approach to replicating in-class discussion in online learning.

Dr. Michael Hannan, EU’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said Best’s publications reflect positively upon the University and its online educational offerings, which include more than 20 graduate programs, one undergraduate program and numerous courses. He described her as a “high achiever” in working with the Quality Matters (QM) national system of assessing and recognizing quality in online education.

Best, who teaches in Edinboro’s online graduate reading master’s degree program, is one of three EU faculty members who have attained Master Reviewer certification in the QM system’s faculty-centered peer review process. Twenty-five Edinboro faculty members have completed QM courses.

Best was recently nominated by her peers at the national level for the 2015 Hall of Excellence for QM Master Reviewers for providing a superior course review experience. Her name, along with that of Edinboro University, will be listed on the Hall of Excellence for QM Reviewers on the Quality Matters website. The award will be presented at the 7th Annual Quality Matters Conference, which will be held Nov. 1-4 in San Antonio, Texas.

“As a nationally certified Quality Matters Master Reviewer, I remain committed to engaging in research, advanced certifications and assessment of online courses/programs,” Best said. “It is important to continue professional conversations based on research to promote quality undergraduate and graduate-level online courses that result in quality programs at EU.”